The United Nations General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session tomorrow at the request of Arab and Muslim states, to discuss US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The session comes after the United States blocked an Egyptian-drafted UN Security Council resolution, which called for Trump’s declaration to be withdrawn, a move Washington said it views as an insult to U.S. sovereignty and an embarrassment to council members. Nevertheless, tomorrow’s session at the General Assembly will reintroduce the resolution, as Muslim states seek to evade the United States’ veto power and bring about a global condemnation of the American decision.
Palestinian officials told TV7 that the General Assembly’s rare emergency session, which was only convened 10 times in the United Nations’ history, “would downgrade the United States’ ability to thwart a global condemnation of Jerusalem’s recognition as Israel’s capital,” and would effectively “give Washington an equal voice to the 193 members of the General Assembly.” The move, however, has angered the Trump Administration, prompting it to send a harsh warning to the international community, emphasizing that Washington will take note of any country that votes in favor.